Run, little kitten

Silence. But barely. My eyes were on the children playing on the swings. Happiness filled the air with their laughter as they played beneath the moonlight. It was cold and windy, a clear sign that it would rain soon. But I didn't want to leave, not just yet. The wind grew stronger, and parents were already gathering their children. Suddenly, I shivered as I felt a drop of rain against my skin. I rolled my eyes. “Why now?” I muttered to myself. “Sleddin, let's go.” I turned to see Jay walking toward me. His hands were buried in the pockets of his hoodie as he stared down at me with a cold look on his face. “It’s about to rain,” he said, pointing toward the sky. “I'm taking you home.” “Can we wait, please?” I pleaded, already knowing he wouldn't agree. Jay shook his head and glanced at his watch. “It’s late, Sleddin.” He stretched out his hand. “Let's go.” I stared at it for a moment, hesitating. Jay groaned and rolled his eyes. I finally took his hand, and he pulled me to my feet before walking towards the car. I followed him but stopped, glancing back at the swing, which was now empty. Jay opened the car door. “Ladies first,” he said with a bright smile. I shook my head. “I don't like it when you do that.” Jay chuckled. He walked around to the other side and opened his own door. I sighed and was about to get in when I felt it. My eyes widened as fear gripped me. I looked back, the hair on my skin standing on end as my eyes darted around the park. Then, I saw him. Under the bright moonlight, a figure stood still wearing a hoodie and a mask, staring directly at me. I stared back, fear keeping me rooted to the spot. Suddenly, I felt a strong grip around my wrist. I jumped and turned to Jay, who was looking at me with worried eyes. “You look like you've seen a ghost, Sleddin,” he said in a worried tone. I didn't answer. I glanced back at where I'd seen the stranger. He was gone. Slowly, I bit my lower lip. Who is he? Jay shook my arm, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Sleddin?!” “Huh?” “What are you staring at?” he snapped, following my gaze. I quickly shook my head. “It's… nothing,” I lied. Jay turned his gaze back to me. “Is it that stalker?" He asked "Shouldn't we call the—” “No,” I cut him off, pulling my wrist from his grasp. “Let's just go,” I added as I got into the car. Jay said nothing. He walked around to the driver's seat and sighed. Before starting the engine, he glanced at me one more time. Then he drove into the streets, the car picking up speed as the rain started to fall. → The Next Morning, I entered the office and dropped my bag on the floor. I collapsed into my chair, running my fingers through my hair. Another day, another day of work, and I was already exhausted. I barely slept last night. That figure kept flashing through my mind, turning into nightmares that made sleep nearly impossible. The door opened, and a chubby woman with ginger-red hair walked in. She was dressed in a long gown and carried two mugs in her hands. “Good morning, Sleddin,” Rosetta said with a bright smile. I only nodded, returning her smile as I pointed toward the table. Rosetta's smile grew wider as she walked over and placed the mugs on the table. Then she turned to me. “So, how is he?” she asked with a smirk. I raised an eyebrow. “Who?” My eyes widened the moment I realized what she meant. “Jay is my best friend, Rosetta,” I snapped. Rosetta's smirk grew even wider. “Just a friend, huh?” I sighed and ignored her, turning my attention to the files scattered across the table. “You're twenty-five, Sleddin,” Rosetta said. “You need to let go of your past and move on.” I let out a small giggle. Past? Rosetta didn't know what was really going on. She thought Damien's death had left a wound in my heart that I couldn't heal from. She didn't know. She didn't know I was the one who killed him. And now, I was being followed by a stranger who knew exactly what I'd done. Fear, anger, and guilt tightened inside me as I stared down at the files. Rosetta noticed. “Sleddin?” I looked up. She leaned closer, studying my face. “Are you okay?” I immediately forced a bright smile. “Yeah. I'm fine,” I lied. Rosetta breathed out a sigh of relief. “Ahh, for a moment, I thought—” The door opened, grabbing our attention. Our boss, Gareth, stood by the doorpost, leaning in. “Sleddin?” He called. “Sir?” “I was heading out. Do you need anything?” He asked, hope written all over his face. I shook my head. “No,” I replied, returning my gaze to the files. “Thanks, sir,” I added, trying not to sound rude. Gareth said nothing. He simply nodded, waving at Rosetta before closing the door. Soon, I felt eyes on me. I looked up, seeing Rosetta glaring daggers at me. “What?!” I snap. “That was rude!” Rosetta snapped back. I shook my head. “I just rejected his offer.” “He clearly likes you.” “And I don't,” I breathed out, frustrated. I sighed loudly, rolling my eyes. “Look, Rosetta,” I said. “I need to focus.” Rosetta looked at me for half a minute. “Okay, then,” she said, pulling away. She walked towards the door, sliding it shut. I glanced at the door for a minute before returning my focus to the files. ~~~ At noon, I headed to the supermarket to get groceries. After spending hours there, I headed home. My house was just a few blocks away, so I didn't take a taxi. Arriving at my doorstep, I dropped the groceries on the porch, searching my bag for the keys. I frowned, wondering where I had kept them until eventually, I found them. After five minutes, I let out a loud sigh. I put the key in the lock suddenly, my entire body froze. The wind blew, sending a cold shiver down my spine. That feeling....something wasn't right. “You can't get in?” A voice spoke. I jumped in fear, causing the keys to fall to the ground. I heard a chuckle. “Who... are... you?” I asked, my voice trembling in fear. “You dropped your keys,” he responded, bending down to pick them up. His body brushed against my back, and I held my breath. He held my hand, opened my palm and placed the keys there. I shivered from their coldness. I didn't realize how cold it was until now. “Now then,” he said again. “Don't you want to open it?” My fingers shook. I wanted to turn to see who the stranger was, but my body didn't move an inch. I put the key into the lock and turned it. “That's good, Sleddin.” Hearing him say my name filled me with even more fear. Who is this person? How does he know my name? “Go in. I won't hurt you for now,” he replied darkly before pulling away. A minute later, I didn't feel him behind me anymore. My body recovered, and I quickly grabbed my groceries, barging through the door and closing it behind me. I locked it and leaned my back against the door, breathing heavily. My mind instantly went to one person.